Empty and load brake



Dec. 24, 4 l 92 9.

F. KURTZ EMPTY AIND LOAD BRAKE Filed Sept. 4, 1926 5 Sheets-SheetINVENTOR I v yj/ I WITNESS Dec. 24, 1929. B. F. KURTZ EMPTY AND LOADBRAKE Filed Sept. 4. 1926 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR YJRIITNESS mm Dec.24, 1929. B. F. KURTZ EMPTY AND LOAD,BRAKE 3 Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed Sept.4, 1926 INVENTOR WITNESS Patented Dec. 24, 1%29 r tll tihl'l FECEBENJAMIN IE. KUE'IZ, OF BELLEVUE; PENNSYLVAlHi-l, ASSIGNQB T PRESSEDSTEEL GAB COMPANY, JERSEY PENEYSYLVANLL, A CGRPORATION EMPTY AND LOADBRAKE Application filed September 4, 1926.

An object of the invention is to provide an empty and load brake forrailway cars, which is simple in construction and el'licient inoperation.

Another object of the invention is to provide an empty and load brakehaving a plu rality oit levers which, when the brake is in releasedcondition or when an empty application of the brake is being made, arein disconnected relation with each other, and which, when a loadapplication of the brake is being made, are in operative engagement witheach other.

A further object 01" the invention is to provide an empty and load brakewhich will take up a minimum amount of space longitudinally of the car,thus rendering it easy to mount the brake beneath the sloping floor ot ahop- A per car or an ore car.

1 is a plan view of a portion of an empty and load brake with theinvention embodied therein, the several parts of the invention beingshown in their released positions; Fig. 2 is a like view showing theseveral parts of the mechanism in their proper positions when a loadapplication of the brake is being made; Fig. 3 is an enlarged detailplan view showing the levers in disconnected relation with each other,and Fig. i is a like view showing the levers connected with each other.

Referring; now in detail to the drawings the reference character 1indicates an empty brake cylinder and 2 indicates a load brake cylinder,both of which cylinders are suit ably attached to a car body 8, aportion of which body is shown in outline by dot and dash lines in Figs.1 and 2. These cylinders are provided with the usual pistons (not shown)and piston rods, the piston rod of the empty brake cylinder beingindicated by the reference character t and the piston rod of the loadbrake cylinder by the reference character 5. The outer end portion ofthe piston rod d is pivotally connected with a lever 6 at a pointintermediate the ends of such lever and is further pivotally connectedwith one end Serial No. 133,574.

of a lever 7. The lever 6 at its ends has connected therewith rods 8 and9 for transmitting the braking forces to the usual truck brake levers(not shown). The lever 7, intermediate its ends is tulcrumed to the carthrough the medium of a bracket 10 and pin 11, such bracket beingsecured to the car. One end oi this lever as hereinhefore mentioned, isconnected with the piston rod a and the other end has mounted thereon atoothed member 12. I The outer end portion of the piston rod 5 isoperatively connected with one end of a lever 13, such leverintermediate its ends being tulcrumed through the medium of a bracket 14and pin 15, such bracket being secured to thecar. The other end of thislever 13 is provided with an opening 16 through which a portion of thetoothed member 12 passes. /Vithin this opening one end of a member 17 isloosely connected with the lever 13 through the medium of a pin 18.Within the opening 16 the member 17 is provided with a projection ortooth 19 which is adapted to engage the teeth of the member 12. Betweenthe member 17 and the lever 18 and seated upon both within the opening16, there is a resilient member 20 which tends to force the member 17 ina direction so that the tooth 19 thereof will engage the toothed member12. This member 17 has an arm 21 which extends some distance beyond theend of the lever 13, the outer end of such arm being adapted to engage astop 22 secured to the car. hen the arm 21 eng with the stop 22 theteeth 19 will be mo e.l out of engage ment with the member 12, so thatrelative movement between this member 12 and the lever S is permitted.

For the purpose of controlling the fiuid no to the brake cylinders anyusual e over valve (not shown) may be used.

ton rod 5 and l ver 12: to their released positions a device 23 isprovided which comp 'ises a spring 2% mounted on a rod 25 such rod atone end being connected with the lever 13 at one side of its fulcrum. 'lhe rod 25 extends through the spring 241 and at its outer end isprovided with a washer 26 which is held in place by a nut 27 The washer26 forms a seat for one end of the spring while the opposite end of thespring seats against a stop or bracket 28 secured to the car.

For the purpose of moving the piston, piston rod 4, levers 6 and 7 androds 8 and 9 to their released positions a spring 29 is provided, oneend of which is attached to the cylinder 1 or any suitable rigid part ofthe car and the other end of which is secured to the pin which connectsthe piston rod 4 and levers 6 and 7.

Assuming a car, equipped with the invention, to be empty and the changeover valve set for an empty application of the brake and the severalparts of the invention to be in their released positions, as shown inFig. 1 of the drawings, and the brake is to be applied, the operationsof the several parts are as follows :The fluid pressure enters thecylinder 1 and forces the piston rod 4, lever 6, and one end of thelever 7 in the direction of the arrow A in Fig. 1, which causes thetoothed member 12 to move in the direction of the arrow B in Fig. 1, allof the foregoing parts moving a sufficient distance to apply the brakes.It will here be noted that when an empty application is made the tooth19 on the member 17 mounted in. the lever 13 is out of engagement withthe toothed member 12 so that the lever 13 and piston rod 5 are notmoved in either the applying or releasing of the brakes.

When the fluid pressure is released from the cylinder 1, the spring 29,which has been tensioned during the brake applying operation, will forcethe piston, piston rod 4, levers 6 and 7, as well as the rods 8 and 9 totheir released positions, as shown in Fig. 1.

Assuming a car, equipped with the invention, to be loaded and the changeover valve set fora load application of the brake and the several partsof the invention to be in their released positions, as shown in Fig. 1of the drawings, the operations of the several parts are as follows :Thefluid pressure is admitted to the cylinder 1 which causes the piston,piston rod and levers 6 and 7 connected therewith, as well as thetoothed member 12 to move to their empty brake applying positions, atwhich time fluid pressure, due to the action of the change over valve,is admitted to the cylinder 2 which causes the piston, piston rod 5 andthe connected end of the lever 13 to move in the direction as indicatedby the arrow C in Fig. 2. As the piston rod 5 is thus moved the oppositeend of the lever 13 is moved in the direction of the arrow D in Fig. 2,and as this portion of the lever is so moved the member 17 is moved withit. As the member 17 moves with the end of the lever 13, the pressure onthe arm 21 of the member 17 is relieved so that the spring 20 in thelever 13 will force the tooth 19 on the member 17 into engagement withthe toothed member 12. After these toothed members, 12 and 17, are inengagement any further pressure on the piston rod 5 and lever 13 will betransmitted therefrom to the levers 7 and 6 and therethrough to thebrake rods 8 and 9 and thence to the other usual brake parts.

When the fluid pressure is released from the cylinder 2 the spring 24,which has been compressed during the load application of the brakes,will force the piston, piston rod 5, lever 13 and member 17 to theirreleased positions, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3.

Having thus described the invention what I claim as new and desire tosecure-by Letters Patent is 1. In an empty and load brake comprising anempty and a load cylinder, piston rods for said cylinders, a leverconnected with one of said piston rods, a lever connected with the otherof said piston rods, and toothed means for operatively connecting saidlevers only when a load application of the brake is being made.

2. In an empty and load brake comprising an empty and a load cylinder,piston rods for said cylinders, a plurality of levers fulcrumedintermediate their ends, the adjacent ends of said levers being adaptedto be automatically connected and disconnected and the oppositeend ofeach lever being operatively connected with one of said piston rods.

3. In an empty and load brake comprising an empty and a load cylinder,piston rods for said cylinders, a plurality of levers, one end of one ofsaid levers being connected with one of said rods, and one end of theother of said levers being connected with the other of said rods, andmeans associated with the adjacent ends of said levers for automaticallyconnecting and disconnecting said adjacent ends.

4. An empty and load brake comprising a plurality of power applyingdevices, levers between and connected with said devices, and means forautomatically connecting and disconnecting said levers.

5. An empty and load brake comprising a plurality of power applyingdevices, levers operated by said devices and means for automaticallyconnecting and disconnecting said levers.

6. An empty and load brake comprising a plurality of power applyingdevices, levers operated by said devices, and tooth means associatedwith the adjacent ends of said levers for automatically connecting anddisconnecting said levers.

7. An empty and load brake comprising a power applying device for makingan empty application of the brake, a power appl ing device for making aload application of brake, a plurality of levers, one of said leversbeing connected with one of said devices, and the other of said leversbeing connected with the AL the other of said devices, and means wherebysaid levers are connected together when a load application of the brakeis being made and whereby a disconnection of said levers is effectedwhen the brake is being released.

8. An empty and load brake comprising a power applying device for makingan empty application of the brake, a lever connected with said powerapplying device, a-power ap plying device for making a load applicationof the brake, a lever connected with the last mentioned power applyingdevice, means for connecting said levers when the last mentioned powerapplying device is operated, and means whereby said connecting means areheld in disconnected relation with each other when the first mentionedpower applying device is operated.

9. An empty and load brake comprising a power applying device for makingan empty application of the brakes, a lever connected with said device,a power applying device for making a load application of the brake, alever connected with the last mentioned power applying device, a toothedmember connected with the first mentioned lever, and adapted to passthrough the last mentioned lever, and a toothed member on the lastmentioned lever adapted to be moved into or out of engagement with thefirst mentioned toothed member to effect a connection or disconnectionof said levers with each other.

10. An empty and load brake comprising empty and load brake applyingdevices, a plurality of levers connected with said devices and meanswhereby said levers are maintained disconnected from each other whensaid empty brake applying device is being operated, and whereby saidlevers are operatively connected together when said load brake applyingdevice is being operated.

11. An empty and load brake comprising an empty brake applying device, aload brake applying device, a lever connected at one end with said emptybrake applying device, a toothed member connected with the other end ofsaid lever, a lever connected at one end with said load brake applyingdevice, a toothed member mounted in the other end of the last mentionedlever, and means whereby the last mentioned toothed member is movableinto or out of operative engagement with the first mentioned toothedmember.

12. An empty and load brake comprising an empty brake applying device, alever fulcrnmed intermediate its ends and having one of its endsconnected with said device, a load brake applying device, a leverfulcrumed in termediate its ends and having one of its ends connectedwith the last mentioned device, and means for automatically connectingand disconnecting the other ends of said levers.

13. In a railway car, an empty and load brake comprising an empty brakeapplying device, a load brake applying device, levers iulcrumedintermediate their ends to said car, one end of each of said leversbeing connected with one of said devices, interengageing members on theadjacent ends of said levers, a stop on said car, and an arm on one ofsaid interengaging members adapted to engage said stop to hold saidmember out of engagement with the other of said members.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

BENJAMIN F. KURTZ.

